uncanny valley

American  

[uhn-kan-ee val-ee] / ʌnˈkæn i ˈvæl i /

noun

1. 1. a psychological concept that describes the feelings of unease or revulsion that people tend to have toward artificial representations of human beings, as robots or computer animations, that closely imitate many but not all the features and behaviors of actual human beings.

   2. the dip in positive feelings toward such artificial representations.

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Etymology

Origin of uncanny valley

1970; coined by Masahiro Mori, Japanese roboticist (born 1927), from Japanese bukimi no tani (genshō) “uncanny valley (phenomenon)”

Example Sentences

YouTube may also find itself in a sort of uncanny valley with buyers as elements of its business increasingly resemble traditional media but remain different in key ways.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Each 11-minute episode follows mundane escapades, like hosting a movie night or getting in a hot tub, punctuated by a somewhat disturbing art style and clumsy-on-purpose animation that strays into the uncanny valley.

From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025

But that appears to be changing with the likes of Optimus and sleeker droids which edge us closer to living in an uncanny valley.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

“I think down the line we’ll understand that there’s just something missing. It’s that uncanny valley concept.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2025

They note that it could also relate to the "uncanny valley" hypothesis, since the virtual human hands might have been too eerily similar yet distinct for perfect embodiment.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2024